Never thought I'd see you again
by StaticDragonfly
Summary: A childhood friend comes crashing in Zuko's life again after many years. How will they react now they find themselves on opposite sides ?   Rated T for safety   possible later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

The young prince stormed into his room in a fit of anger sending unlit candles flying and pushing over a chair before finally flopping down on his bed, letting his anger mingle unpleasantly with humiliation.  
>" I hate her, I hate her, I hate, hate HATE HER ! why does she ALWAYS have to show me up in front of father ?" he yelled into his pillow, bitter tears beginning to sting his eyes he pushed them quickly away as a lump rose in his throat, he swallowed trying to force it away, composure was one fo the first steps to being a perfect prince.<p>

He had just attended fire bending training and once again his little sister had been better than him, to make it worse his father had been there. He was smiling proudly at Azula as she aced every test, no matter that he did, Zuko always seemed to come in second best, his father looked at him with something close to disgust. When the little boy ran from the training area, he'd been so angry he'd even pushed his mother off of him when she'd tried to comfort him.

Immediately his anger vanished when he remembered her hurt expression and a wave of regret hit him hard, he shouldn't have done that he thought as he rolled onto his side and curled into a little ball, poking at the fire emblem on his pillow letting his emotions run around in his head. He sat like that for some minutes before he caught something in the corner of his eye, looking up he saw a someone dissapear from his window.

Must be Azula come to laugh at him, brag, make him feel bad, as she always did when she was victorious over him.

He walked over to his window checking his face with his hand to make sure his tears had dried or to get rid of any still around. He scanned the grounds outside for anything, and nearly jumped out his skin when a young girl, about his age popped up and peered at him through the window. Zuko felt anger rise in him again, who was this girl ? how dare she spy on him when he was feeling so low ! but she, seemly oblivious to his mood smiled and waved. The anger melted into confusion, without meaning to he raised his hand and waved it slowly back at her. Her grin split wider and she motioned for him to open the window. Without being exactly sure why, Zuko obliged and was now standing face to face with the strange girl.

"Hi" she chirped in a bright voice.

"Hello" said Zuko, then after a short pause, where neither of them said anything, Zuko continued.

"Who are you ?" he asked suspiciously.

"Me ? Oh I'm Moranna, but everyone just calls me Mora, you must be Prince Zuko"  
>"what are you doing here ?" Zuko said scanning the girls appearance to see if she could have been a thief, she didn't look like one.<p>

"My Father is one of the fire nations generals, he is in a meeting with your father, uncle and the fire lord. I was told to go play with your sister, but she left and went and played with those other two girls, and they all ignored me." she said looking a little upset.

Zuko nodded.

"That sounds like Azula, she's always doing stuff like that"

" oh, she's kind of mean"

"yes, she is" Zuko smiled a little despite himself.

"Anway" she continued " then I saw you all alone in your room and thought maybe you'd wanna play, but then you looked up at me so I ducked down and hid" - she said looking a little embarrassed. - "Like maybe you'd think I was spying on you or something"

" well I thought you might have been a thief when I saw you" said Zuko but stopped when he saw the taken aback look on her face "but then I realized you probably weren't" he added quickly blushing embarrassed himself now.

" how ?" she questioned, blinking.

" you don't look like one" he stated

" what do you mean ?"

" umm" Zuko said blushing harder. Glancing up at her, she was, for lack of a better word, beautiful. Long dark brown slightly covering her bright green eyes, and shading her freckle spattered face, surely no thief could look like that, the ones in the stories he knew were all haggard, old and ugly. He couldn't say that or course, so he just shrugged in response. She smiled.  
>"Anyway, wanna play ?" she asked holding her hand out for his. Zuko hesitated slightly before taking her hand in his and she helped pull him through the window and out into the garden. They stood for a second, face to face, her smile bright and confident, his nervous and unsure until she pressed a hand to his chest.<p>

"Tag ! You're it" she cried before bolting off.  
>"No fair !" yelled Zuko chasing her. The two played together for a couple of hours before they both collapsed on the pond bank, they sat for a while watching the turtle ducks and catching their breath ad lost in their thoughts.<br>" Can you do it too ?" said Mora finally breaking the silence.

" What ?" asked Zuko as he rolled from lying on his stomach to his back to get a better look at the girl while they spoke.

"Fire bending - like Azula"  
>Zuko paused for a moment, the sting of today's failure coming back again, but less so.<p>

" I'm not as good as her" he said trying to hide the jealously in his voice.

" can I see anyway ?"  
>"if you've seen Azula firebend, then watching me isn't that impressive"<p>

"Try" it was more of a question than a command. Zuko sighed and stood, and went through his routine finally finishing looking a little embarrassed.

"Not that good I know, you don't need to tell me" said Zuko, preparing himself for her laughing at him like his sister.

" I liked it" she said, he barely glanced at her, she looked like she meant it, he allowed himself a small smile, and an unknown warm feeling sparkling in his stomach. He did his best to squash it away as he let himself flop down next to her again leaning back and using his arms to support him, facing the sky.

" you're just saying that" he mumbled

"Nu-uh" she shook her head " I mean it wasn't as– big – as Azula's but it also wasn't as scary, I mean when I saw Azula fire bend I dunno" Mora leaned forward hugging her knees " It made me worried , like she'd hurt people with it, with you, I dunno, it's just different, _you're_ different I guess"

Zuko had been looking at the back of her head the whole time she had been speaking.

"good different ?" he asked without thinking

" very good different" she replied simply.

A comfortable silence flooded the space between them as Zuko gave up fighting the warm feeling now ad just let it consume him. He lowered himself into the grass and they both just sat together as the day faded into the first bloom of dusk.

"thanks" Zuko said, after a long while. She turned to him, and opened her mouth to say something

" MORANNA, WHERE ARE YOU ?" shouted a male voice from across the grounds, her head turned away from Zuko again, towards the palace.

"That's my daddy" she said standing up and brushing herself down. Zuko stood up too, not wanting her to go.  
>" well, goodbye for now " said Zuko bowing to her, the way he had been taught to bid goodbye to all house guests.<p>

She blinked at him for a minute then smiled and pulled him into a hug. The young boy fumbled unsure, he never really hugged anyone except his mother and Mora was an entirely different shape. She pulled away, still smiling and trotted off across the grounds.  
>" Coming daddy" she called to her unseen father, she glanced over her shoulder and waved before disappearing around the corner.<p>

Zuko walked back to his bedroom, still bathing in the warm feeling, which had faded when Mora left but not entirely gone. As he climbed back through his window and slid the glass shut again, he caught a glimpse of his reflection smiling back at him and made a face at himself. He laughed.  
>"And why are you so happy Zuzu ?" the cold drawl of his sister's voice making him stop dead. He turned and narrowed his eyes at Azula, he didn't want to tell her, she'd only find a way to ruin it, they way she did most things that where his. Not that the Mora girl way <em>his , <em>but she was definatly more his than Azulas's after all hadn't been Azula that had ditched her in the beginning ?

"Fine, don't tell me, see if I care, but dad's super mad at you for messing up today" She turned and started leaving tossing her head back.  
>"oh and dinner's ready" she called back to him<p>

He followed, almost walking into his mother on the way to the dinning hall. Zuko threw his arms around his mothers waist and hugged her close.

"I'm sorry for pushing you earlier in practice mother, I didn't mean to upset you" he said, his words being slightly muffled by the soft fabric of her robe. He felt her hand on his cheek, he looked up as she leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"it's ok, my little prince, I know you where hurt." she said softly to him. " I hope you're feeling a bit happier now" He nodded and smiled up at her  
>" I am mother" he smiled<br>" good I hate to see you so upset, i'm glad you cheered youself up"

'but I didn't' thought Zuko to himself, 'Mora cheered me up, I guessed that's what friends do' he stopped 'friends ?' he though ' I guess she is' he smiled wide, safe in the knowledge that his mother was no longer his only friend.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – hi guys I know these are super annoying but please can you give me reviews ? – I don't need them for ratings or anything, I'd just like the feedback. Even if they're negative – well critical, obviously noy nasty. Obviously nice reviews are very welcome too :) please + thank you ! Plus thanks to **justiceintheworldofhp-yearight** for reviewing ^_^**

Four days passed and Zuko was missing Mora, well not her specifically, after all, he'd only know her for a few short hours, but he was missing someone his own age, that didn't sneer at him.

" The general is coming over again tomorrow" announced his father, as if reading his son's mind.

" Oh ?" questioned his mother " do you still have more to discuss ?"  
>" a great deal more, he has some good ideas, that man" he said stoking his beard thoughtfully " I think we'll be seeing a lot more of him.<p>

" Will he be bringing his daughter with him ? I don't want to be made to play with her gain, she was boring" said Azula. This made something in zuko's stomach tighten aggressively against his sister, _she _had ditched Mora, they hadn't been made to play together, and furthermore Mora was odd but not boring.

" Young Lady !" said Ursa, scoldingly, about to begin telling her daughter off, when Zuko's father talked over her.

" Azula, a general's daughter will be a valuable friend and a good contact, if she's anything like her father" her reached over and stoked her hair lightly " like you're like me" he withdrew his hand and took another swig of his tea, while he was drinking Azula shot a nasty smirk at Zuko, he pretended he didn't care.

" and besides, he has no where else to keep the girl, something happened to their mother, she's no longer around" continued their father, with only mild interest.

" what a pity on the poor child" said Ursa, frowning

" Not necessarily, word has it their mother was a traitor, and she got what she deserved, it probably for the best that she can no longer influence the girl, I don't think she was even told of her mothers' actions."

Azula rolled her eyes "can we stop talking about them now ? It's getting boring" she was not accustomed to going this long without being able to best her brother in front of their father, so she began to brag about her progress in fire bending. Zuko sat quietly, having not made as much progress as Azula, he had nothing to expect praise for. One little sentence rang through his head, as clear as if Mora was still siting beside him, hugging her knees and looking into the pond.

" _I mean when I saw Azula fire bend I dunno, It made me worried , like she'd hurt people with it, with you, I dunno, it's just different, you're different I guess"_

Zuko smiled lightly to himself. He was different, good different.

Zuko woke early the next morning and got washed and dressed. He kept checking himself in the mirror to make sure he looked all-right, fighting with his hair and shirt, they seemed to just not fall right today. When Mora and her father arrived, pleasantries were exchanged between all the grown ups until Mora was pushed off to go play with Azula. Zuko retuned to his room and waited by his window, it took a good fifteen minutes before Mora trotted up to his window again.

"Hey" she chirped through Zuko's open window. Zuko smiled.

"Hi" he said, surprising himself with the lightness of his own voice and took the small girls hand reaching for his. They spend another day lost in an imaginary world where the fire nation had won the war and the whole land lived in harmony under the rule of the fire nation.

"Zuko ?" said Mora, a little shyly

" yeah ?"

" have you ever ?. . . . " She trailed off blushing hard and looking away

" What ?" he asked looking at her curiously. There was a long pause where Mora stared at the grass by her feet nibbling her lip as if working up her nerve.

"What ?" Zuko said. She jolted up, flustered, looking him in the eye, her cheeks reddening still further.

"t-taught someone fire-bending ?" she said said quickly.

Zuko blinked, 'that wasn't an embarrassing question' he thought to himself, 'Why would she be embarrassed to ask that' but he shrugged it off, still young enough to think of these sort of events as 'girls being weird'.

Zuko shook his head in response to her question.

" Can you teach me ?" Mora said "My mama used to teach me . ." she trailed off again, a look of pure sadness coming over her young featured. Zuko couldn't help but think of what his life would be if his mother ever went away. A tight ball of dread tightened in his stomach imagining a life with Azula.

" I'll teach you" he said, forcing a sad little smile which she returned.  
>" but don't tell my daddy ok ? Mama said I shouldn't show him or even tell him about fire bending, or that she or I had been doing it, as part of the surprise, you know ?"<p>

Zuko nodded smiling, but then a thought crossed his mind.

"Azula is more advanced then me, wouldn't you rather have her as a teacher ?"

The young girl shook her head violently.

" I told you I don't like the way Azula fire-bends, it kinda scares me, it's too aggressive."

Zuko grinned " sure ok, well what do you know ?"

" not much, I mean I know the basic-basics like breathing and stuff, but I can't conjure that much fire"

" Ok" he said "well after breathing, its all about finding your core" he said circling his hands by his stomach and creating a small flame "you need to find your centre, that's where your fire-bending comes from"

The two practised until quite late, she had mastered conjuring a small flame in both hands and being able to move freely without having ether of them go out before the voice of Mora's father called again, pulling her away from him. She pushed her arms around him again, for their goodbye hug and he hugged her back, finding it a lot easier then he had the last time.

As he watched the girl disappear again he thought of how red she'd gotten when she's asked him to teach her fire bending, was she really that embarrassed at it ? It never crossed his mind that it might not have been her original question, a cold voice pulled him back to reality.

" Zuzu's got a giiiirrlfriiennd" Azula teased, dragging out the would 'girlfriend' so it was long and annoying.  
>" SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND !" Zuko yelled his cheeks flushing.<p>

" yeah, ok Zuzu, whaever you say" Azula skipped away singing "Zuzu and Mora sitting in a tree"

" she's not my girlfriend" The young boy mumbled to himself following his sister back home.


	3. Chapter 3

[ Author's note :- HOLEY MOLEY ! Sorry guys ! I've not updated in FOREVER ! You guys are so patient with me ! Thanks so much for all the faves and stuff, you guys rock ! ]

A month passed and Zuko and Mora's friendship blossomed in the way only the friendship between children can. Azula had tried to play interference for a while, once she'd learnt Zuko liked her. Inviting Mora off to play with her friends, Tai Lee and Mai, an offer that Mora always declined to Zuko's pleasure.  
>They sat on the bank one day Mora's father had been locked in a serious discussion with the fire lord and Zuko's father. Shadows grew long as the pair laid on their backs picking out shapes in the clouds.<br>"turtle ducks !" said Mora raising her hand and showing Zuko the trail of clouds.

"mmm" replied Zuko sounding distracted. Mora strained her eyes to look at her friend, a puzzled look etched clearly on her face, he was gazing blackly at a pile of rocks.  
>"Zuko ?" she asked<p>

"mmm ?" he replied in the same distracted tone. Mora rolled onto her stomach, her head dangling above his, but her head, the opposite way to his, her hair tickling his neck and chin. This pulled his focus to her. He looked worried, in a way she'd never seen before.

"You ok ?" She asked, trying to decipher the reason for her friends expression.

Zuko took a deep breath ready to answer with the 'yes, it's nothing' he'd given to everyone else who had asked him this question, but looking up into her bright green eyes the lie got lost on the way to his mouth and accidentally answered with the truth.

"no" he said shortly, surprising himself with his answer.

" what's wrong ?" said Mora. Zuko sighed and began to sit up, Mora pushing herself onto her knees as he crossed his legs. There was a silence while he thought about his words. Mora just waited, eyebrows raised, curious and concerned but patient. He was grateful for this.  
>" Azula" he answered finally and it was met with her light tinkering laugh<p>

"Not funny !" Zuko pouted.

" Sorry, sorry" She replied but still smiling "but Azula's always nasty to you, she's just kind of like that."  
>" It's not something she's said" said Zuko glancing off to the side embarrassed<p>

" fire-bending again ?" Mora asked, softly, the smile was gone now, and the concern was back. Zuko gave a very small nod, still not looking at Mora.  
>" Zuko" she continued in the same soft tone " you can't let that bother you, your fire-bending is great, ok ? So maybe your not as good as Azula, but c'mon who wants to be like her she's such a platypus-bear butt."<br>This made Zuko laugh, he looked over at her and smiled for the first time in a couple of days. As he did so a warm and unfamiliar feeling crept through his body. He shook it off, and looked up at the sky again, sighing.

"The only thing is, our family is going to talk to my grandfather about my uncle soon" he said, knowing in his heart that this was family business and he should not be telling Mora, but he knew Azula would hell her friends, so he wanted to tell his.

" What about ?" she asked. Zuko's face flushed red, he knew what it was about, he knew his father wanted to talk about taking the throne in place of his uncle, but it seemed wrong.  
>" Dunno" he replied staring at his shoes. Zuko felt awkward with the lie " Azula's gonna show off though" He added quickly. " she's learnt a bunch more and wants to show me up"<br>"Just because she's good at Fire-bending doesn't diminish your progress !"  
>" that's what my mom says"<br>" she's a very wise woman" said Mora, nudging him with her arm. He smiled.

"yeah ok. Maybe" Zuko replied  
>" seems Mora is a very wise girl too" said a friendly voice behind them. They both turned to see Ursa standing behind them. She turned to More.<br>"i've been sent to fetch you, dear" Said smiled kindly

"Oh, thanks !" said Mora. She said goodbye to her friend and his mother.

As she scampered off Zuko watched her go, until he heard his mother's laugh.

"Mom ?" he said turning to her. She smiled very widely and petted her son's head.

" what is it ?" he asked again looking up at his mother's laughing face.

" Oh, I imagine you'll undertsnad when your a little older.

" I hate it when you say that"  
>" don't worry son, I imagine you'll figure out this one quite soon" she moved her hand to his back and began to pull him with her back to the house.<br>"Come along, it's time for dinner." He nodded, still confused. He shook his head as he walked with his mother, his hand clinging to her side. ' I will never understand girls' he thought to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

[ Author's note : Seriously guys thanks so much for the reviews ! I love that you're all liking the story so much ! You guys are awesome as always !]

- BTW I couldn't remember the exact clips from this episode, but you guys know the basic story, so yeah …. ]

Zuko sat alone in his room going over the moves for his fire-bending in his head, he'd show Azula, he could be just as good as Mora and his mother said he could be. A knock on his door interupted his fantasies of out-bending Azula.  
>"yes ?" he said turning to the door<p>

" It's time to see your grandfather Zuko" his father said shortly, not looking at his son. He instead focused his gaze down the hallway, the sharp humourlessness look Zuko had come to recognize on his father's face. It meant that he was going to get his way, no matter what. Zuko headed down the hallway after his family, Azula skipping by her father's side and his mother slightly further back. The young boy watched the older man's back closely. He'd noticed a change in him recently, it was nothing very big or dramatic, but a slight sharpening to his already malicious and power hungry personality that made Zuko almost fear him.  
>Zuko took a deep breath as his family passed the saluting guards as they entered the fire lord's room and only letting it go when they had passed.<br>As the meeting commenced Zuko's heart was pounding hard with nerves, but he took In the details, The loss of his cousin, his uncles' behaviour. Without looking around he wondered if his father would spend so long grieving over him.  
>Time had come at last, Azula's turn to fire bend she executed each move perfectly, enough to make his father smile. Zuko felt his mouth dry and his palms sweat as nerves gripped him again. He felt the encouragement his mother and friend had given him and felt brave enough to speak up.<br>" I would also like to demonstrate what I have learnt" said his voice coming out before he had time to control it. The nerves tripped him as he tried and failed to imitate Azula, He glanced at his family. His mothers smile, his sisters smirk and his father's look again, the one the one that made Zuko fear his father. In a final attempt his tired to shoot a last fireball but needed up falling to the floor, his mother rushed to comfort him.  
>He tired feebly to push her away but eventually have in to the hug. He heard his grandfather give the order for him and his mother and sister to leave.<p>

His mother left with her children trailing behind. When they were almost out of the room Azula pulled Zuko away and they both ease dropped on the conversation between their father and grandfather. Zuko looked at his sister, she looked exited, as if her father possibly becoming firelord was all she wanted, but the young boy felt something twist in his gut. This felt wrong, a very bad kind of wrong, the kind you need to protect the people you care about from. The feeling confused the young boy and he tired his best to shake it away, he just didn't understand. The fire nation was a good thing, they were doing this for the other nations, they were the wrong ones. This is what he'd been taught since he was young. Having heard enough, he ran, leaving his sister far behind, still listening in.

Zuko kept running until his lungs hurt, he eventually collapsed on the ground, breathing hard.  
>Eventually his mother found him.<br>"Zuko, what's wrong ?" her kind voice making him feel at ease. She pulled him into her.  
>"Nothing" Zuko lied and hugged his mother close. His lip trembling hard, his mother noticed, of course.<br>"I loved watching you fire bend today" she said stroking his hair.

"I messed up" He said tears finally spilling out, having given up the fight against them.

"you were perfect, you should show Mora, I know she'd agree with me" Zuko smiled looking up at his mother and nodded.  
>"yeah" he said. His mothers' eye softened and she gently wiped the tears away from his face.<p>

"come along young prince" he said and kissed his forehead. "we've had a long day, time for you to go to bed"  
>Zuko was smiling as he walked back through the palace, but it faltered as he noticed how tightly his mother was gripping him to her. Confused he looked up at her, she was smiling, but it was wrong. He knew his mothers smile and this wasn't it, when she smiled her eyes lit up, but her eyes weren't full of their usual warmth right now. They showed fear.<br>Something cold as ice ran down Zuko's spine and he snapped his head back to look in front of him, he felt like he'd seen something he shouldn't have, something private.  
>When they reached Zuko's room he got ready for bed. When he was done Ursa tucked him into bed. He looked at her closely, the – fear- or whatever it was - was gone now. The warmth was back, Zuko smiled. He'd just imagined it. This whole day had just been one big misunderstanding. That was it, it was just one of those things he'd understand one day, when he was bigger and knew how the world worked. With that happy thought in mind he drifted up to sleep. Until hos mother woke him up in the very early hours of the next morning.<p>

[ ok guys you know where it goes from here – Ursa says goodbye and leaves, next chapter will be based on the next morning ! Ok guys thanks, Stay awesome !]


	5. Chapter 5

Mora watched her father disappear with Zuko's off into the map room. Mora looked around, something in the air felt weird that day. The whole palace seemed too quiet and a lot less friendly, not one to be discouraged easily, she walked off to Zuko's room, knocking on the door.

She didn't get an answer which was unusual, slowly she opened the door and poked her head around the corner.  
>At first it didn't see, like Zuko was in until she saw him on the bed, face down.<br>"Zuko ?" she asked quietly. A shuddering gasp was the only reply she got, he looked up and she could see that hi was crying. She began to walk over to him and reached out to touch his back. Quick as a whip he sat up and pushed her away, a mixed look or alarm and hurt crossed her face.  
>"SHE'S GONE" he yelled, his voice cracking oddly.<p>

"who ?" Mora asked, half knowing the answer.

" MOM !" he shouted at her again. Silent sobs racking his entire body, a large painful lump in his throat jamming anymore words. The young boy didn't have anything he wanted to say specifically, he just wanted to yell.

"Zuko" Mora said softly moving in again to comfort him but he just pushed her away.  
>"GO AWAY ! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE, YOU DON'T KNOW ! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, JUST LEAVE, LEAVE ME ALONE"<br>Zuko just kept yelling at her, he didn't hate Mora, he didn't mean anything he was saying, for some unexplainable reason he just wanted to make her hurt, just the same way he was hurting.

Mora just stood taking everything he was yelling at her, when he was finished shouting and couldn't do it anymore, he stood there breathing hard.  
>For the first time he looked at Mora properly, she looked a mix of emotions, upset ,scared, hurt, sad but most of all angry.<br>The next thing the young boy felt was a good hard slap across his face. When he recovered, he was about to start yelling at her for hitting him, but she interrupted him. She didn't yell but her voice was low and dangerous.

" I don't know do I ? I don't know what it's like to have my mother just disappear. What do you think happened to her ? She disappeared too ! Don't EVER act like it never happened to me ! I'm hurting too !" her lip trembled too, but she stayed strong glaring straight at him.

The look on Zuko's face softened, guilt filled him, he stared at his feet.

"I'm sorry" he said the tears shaking his voice again. "I just i- I just-" he was lost for words. His mother gone and now he'd lost his friend too by being stupid.  
>Zuko heard footsteps, assuming Mora was leaving but next thing he knew a pair of arms wrapped around him.<br>Zuko jumped a little started at the gesture. Tears almost spilling over again, the young boy just pulled her close and hugged her tightly.  
>The two stood there locked in the embraced for a long time. Zuko murmuring apologies into her hair.<br>"I didn't mean it"

" I know"  
>" I didn't think about your mom"<p>

" It's ok"

"I'm sorry"

" I know"

Zuko tightened his grip on her, afraid that if he didn't hold on tight she'd up and disappear too.

"s-she might be ok, she might come back." Mora said quietly after Zuko had calmed down. He shook his head violently.

"You didn't hear Azula today, I think she's gone for good, banished" The words were hard to say and he felt the knot in his stomach tighten.

"It's Ok" said Mora softly loosening the hug so she could look at him.

"_You'll_ be ok" she put her hand on his cheek gently to comfort him. Zuko smiled slightly, the worry and anger he was feeling starting to slowly ebb away, as it usually did with her around.

"I didn't mean to take it out on you" he said looking at his shoes again.

"It's ok, you were upset" Mora replied

"No, It's not, I should have never spoken to you like that !" Zuko said. Mora made no argument but still looked sad, Zuko covered his eyes with his hands, trying to block out her expression, the soft look In her eyes of someone caring about him, looked too much like his mother.

" I always seem to lash out at the people I care about" he said. He felt her tugging gently as his arms, pulling them away from his face.

"Because you know that they'll care about you, no matter what"

" I wish my mother was here"

" I wish my mom was here too" Mora said. Zuko leaned forward and took her hand in his.

" You don't get to go though, I need you. Loosing my mom is already too much. I can't loose you too" he was staring at his feet again, color rising dangerously in his cheeks. The knot still in his stomach, but not from fear this time. This was a feeling he didn't recognise, the same weird funyn feeling he'd had a couple of times around her. She put her arm around him.

"You won't loose me Zuko, I'll always be here, right where you need me" She smiled and the young boys stomach erupted into what felt like 50 million butterflies all flapping around his ribcage. He smiled back at her, enjoying the feeling.


End file.
